


A Way to Die

by FlyingLightDragon



Series: Sky Alternate Universes [1]
Category: Sky: Children of the Light (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Author Is Sleep-Deprived, Because I made it too detailed lmfao, Been making things up as I write, F/F, FLUFF IS NEVER AN OPTION, First post in AO3 wish me luck, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff before angst because I'm like that, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I want angst I write angst, I'm an angst machine lmao, LABORATORY TOOK TOO LONG, M/M, My First AO3 Post, My First Work in This Fandom, Running off on steam at this point lmfao, Self-Indulgent, This took me days because school, what the fuck am I doing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:07:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29380392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyingLightDragon/pseuds/FlyingLightDragon
Summary: Everyone dies in different ways. Some may be suffocation, others may be in their sleep, it is vast and endless.Albeit, these particular group of people have quite the unique ways to die. Pain, suffering, and emotions they remember how much it hurts.Into the backstory of their lives, and how it affected them in the long term. Are you ready to face the grueling truth hidden behind the masks of youth and happiness?
Relationships: Akuma (Original Character)/Zephyr (Original Character), Akumu (Original Character)/Raven (Original Character), Kenji (Original Character)/Augustus (Original Character)
Series: Sky Alternate Universes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2158257
Kudos: 1





	A Way to Die

**Author's Note:**

> AU where sky kids were once real people and are technically spirits
> 
> Idk what am doing I was craving angst for days lmao
> 
> I'm not sorry
> 
> Take note of everyone's ages throughout this series:  
> Akumu — 23 (height 4)  
> Raven — 21(height 2)  
> Akuma — 21(height 1)  
> Zephyr — 20 (height 3)  
> Augustus — 20 (height 3)  
> Kenji — 22 (height 1)  
> Amethyst — 22 (height 2)  
> Akari — 23 (height 2)

Legs pressed against her chest, left arm supporting the backside of her thighs and the other propped across her knees, chin resting on her right arm as she waited for pretty much nothing. It was unusual for the girl to be spotted sitting on top of the outfit shrine, unless something's in her mind... 

Akumu fiddled with the ruby butterfly pin in her hand, a dazed look in her eyes as she stared into nothingness, flashback upon flashback breezing through her mind and made no move to wring it out, as if she's cursed to relive the horrid memories of her past every day since she's been here. 

"Hey." A soft voice pulled her out of her daze, ruby eyes shifting over to the silhouette blocking most of the sunlight shining above before gazing up to meet eyes with sapphire — her brother, she realised, is standing beside her. "Back from the past again, huh?" 

"I can't help it." A sigh escaped her lips, the grip on her pin tightening until her knuckles turned white, tears threatening to slip down her cheeks. "It just _hurts_... thinking about all of the things I could've done to save us from that misery we fucking got into." 

Akuma pursed his lips, joining his sister in sitting down above the outfit shrine, his eye watching the other sky kids happily skating across the small ice rink in Home space. Although his other eye is blocked by his valley hair (you know which one), he could still grasp how lively they are, despite how they died. "As much as I wished so too... We can't turn back time and change it, can we?" 

He slightly tilted his head to give a glance at Akumu, only to find out her eyes are already staring right into his soul. Despite holding a neutral expression, he could see the tears sliding down her cheeks glistening in the sunlight, leaving tracks in their wake, a temporary reminder they could never escape from the grasps of their nightmares— 

"Aku~!" Eyes torn away from each other, snapping towards the source of the noise — in the back of Akumu's mind, she could recognise the voice from anywhere, **_Raven_**. Said girl is waving her left arm, her other hand cupped around her lips for her voice to resonate throughout the place, with Kenji, Augustus, and Zephyr behind her. "We're going to Eden, wanna come along?"

"We'll pass," Akuma replied, feeling his sister's hand grip from her pin to the hem of his cape. Despite wanting to join the group, he couldn't leave her to suffer in silence, even more so they have suffered through the same fate so of course he would try to comfort her as much as he could. "We're a bit lazy so..." 

Raven frowned in worry at his response, while Zephyr narrowed his eyes in suspicion — though judging from the others' body languages, they didn't want to push the boundaries in fear of one of the siblings snapping at them, and they know they don't want to go down that road. 

' _Must be related to how they died._ ' Zephyr pursed his lips at the thought. He needs to ask about it soon, as he knew they can't bottle it up forever — in the worse case, one of them breaking down in front of everyone, he can't afford that happening — and the unhealthy distractions they've been doing won't work in the long run. 

"If you say so," He spoke up, eyeing Akuma, scanning for any doubt. Nothing. Not a sliver of doubt in the eye he knew so well. "We'll be back soon, okay? Please wait for a bit." 

The other gave him a smile, waving idly as the siblings watch the group disappear into Eden, though Zephyr glanced over his shoulder one last time before joining them — _worry_ , he could see said emotion in those orchid eyes, clear as the skies on a normal day. It didn't take long before Akumu's broken voice reached his ears. 

"Are they gone?" 

Sapphire eye scanning over the place, he realised they are now alone, when did the other sky kids leave? _No matter_ , he thought, pursing his lips and humming. "Yeah, it's okay to let it all out now." 

With that, a choked cry escaped her lips, her body trembling from the force of her sobs. He knows, **they know** they're slowly breaking, the glass bottle of emotions hidden deep within their hearts threatening to shatter into tiny pieces — cracks are already appearing, it won't take long for the bottle to explode. 

He left a few tears slip down his cheeks as he shifted closer to his sister to pull her into a hug, letting the tears soak his cape and running a soothing hand up and down Akumu's back, basking in each other's presence for comfort.

They don't know when they can get out the chains of their nightmares, all they know are the voices in their heads, whispering and wishing for their permanent deaths of their raging souls. 

●○●○●○●○● 

Village of Dreams is buzzing with life, sky kids and spirits alike playing around happily with the snow imprinting each of their footsteps, overlapping one another. Despite the snow layering the ground, the place feels warm and emits a sense of security, and in the back of Akuma's mind, he wonders how such a phenomenon happens so easily. 

Akuma chuckled, minute smile hidden behind his ultimate Rhythm mask as he watches Raven forcefully tug Akumu's wrist towards the ice rink, her laughter ringing in the air when the other almost tripped over her own feet. Vaguely, he could hear his sister telling Raven to slow down a bit but of course it fell on deaf ears, though the underlying anger sizzled into nothing as soon as they started skating across the rink hand-in-hand. 

As soon as his smile faded away, a hand reached out to grab his wrist from behind, it was gentle and soft in doing so — although Akuma's instincts still kicked in, momentarily getting brought back to the horror times. Turning around, he was about to wrench his wrist out of the grasp, sneering like a dog baring its teeth at an intruder, only to meet eyes with orchid.

Zephyr's eyes went wide at the negative response coming from the taller male, his hold loosening around his wrist in surprise, a choked squeak escaping his lips to verbally voice his expression. "Are you... _mad_... at me?" 

"No no, it's not that." An exasperated sigh left Akuma's lips, stepping closer to Zephyr for his right hand to reach out and entangle his fingers through his soft hair from the back of his head, his other arm around the other's waist. Kissing the crown of his head and burying his face into his hair, he closed his eyes to calm down, feeling Zephyr's arms slink around his torso and fingers linking behind. "Just my... instincts kicking in back there, I'm sorry if I scared you." 

"No need to be sorry," Zephyr murmured softly, humming contentedly at the way Akuma's hand start running through his hair. Although the bunch of hair tied into a bun had been undone by the time he realised, he didn't care in the moment. "You only took me by surprise." 

They stood there for what seemed like hours, basking in each other's warmth and ignoring the curious eyes of the other sky kids passing by them, but only prolonging the inevitable question Zephyr is about to ask. Said male's hands started sweating as he mustered up all his courage, pondering over what words he should use as to not trigger the male in question. 

" _Hey, can we talk in private real quick?_ " 

Akuma's heart could leap out of his throat and run away if it's possible, hearing the other's soft yet somewhat demanding tone of voice caused his legs to shake in fright, he had to tighten his hold around Zephyr to keep himself upright. "Y- Yeah, sure, lead the way." 

Despite how hard the other tried to mask the waver in his voice and how muffled it is, Zephyr could still pinpoint it out, and he's already starting to regret asking him in the first place. **Fear** , he has never witnessed or heard such an emotion coming from the siblings — from Akuma, even — as if they've learned how to live without it. 

_Though the waver in said sibling's voice says otherwise._

Gently pulling away from the hug with a soft smile gracing his lips, his hand reached out to grasp the other's hand to start dragging him behind one of the buildings of the village for more privacy, no one ever tried to go behind the buildings in the first place. 

With prying orchid eyes, he cornered Akuma onto the wall, the other's back pressed against the cool brick material. If looks could kill, Akuma is sure his soul will disintegrate by now from the way Zephyr pinned him with his eyes alone. He felt cornered, absolutely, and it didn't help that Zephyr moved in to press his body against his, tugging him down until they're at eye level with each other. 

"You know you can't hold it in forever." His words only caused a raised eyebrow from the other male and confusion in his eye. With a sigh, Zephyr's left hand reached up to cup Akuma's cheek, his other hand brushing the hair aside to reveal the other sapphire eye hide hidden from sight. "Tell me, love. How did you and Akumu die?" 

His question is met with silence for what feels like hours, only the soft exhale of their breaths and the faint giggles of the sky kids out in the open could be heard, though he did expect this. 

_What he didn't expect, though, is for sapphire eyes to start glossing over with tears and a choked cry tear through his lips._

"I— I couldn't tell you all the details here but..." Akuma bit his lip to stop his sobs from breaking through, the tears flowing down his cheeks and blurring his vision, yet he could still feel the warmth of Zephyr's body against him and he unconsciously reached his hand up to grab the hand on his cheek. "We were... basically lab rats... tricked by the Devil and forced to be experimented on to achieve a goal not even— not even _humankind_ can reach." 

Zephyr's heart broke at the sight of the other male holding back his tears, gripping his hand as if he would disappear a few moments afterwards. He wrapped his free arm over Akuma's shoulders as the other went weak on his knees, forcing him to slide down the wall with Zephyr, sitting on the snowy ground. 

Zephyr made himself comfortable on Akuma's lap, gently pulling him so he could cry on his shoulder, running his fingers through his hair. "No one will see us here, it's okay to let it all out now. You've been strong for too long, okay?" 

With that, Akuma started crying into Zephyr's cape, soaking the soft material with his tears as his body shook. Hands gripping the cape like a lifeline, Akuma tried to stabilise himself, shaking his head and mumbling. "We shouldn't have accepted the offer given to us, it was too good to be true." 

His words are met with a soft hush from Zephyr who continued humming a painfully familiar song, he couldn't pinpoint which one though, he might have to ask him later after this ordeal. "Enough talking, I get it now, I'll wait until you or Akumu gives the full details of your story." 

They stayed in that position for minutes, with soft humming from Zephyr and faint cries from Akuma, until the crying male had finally calmed down. By then, most of the people left the village and it was only them and a few spirits lingering around, the sun was setting so it's understandable. 

"We should probably meet up with the others in Hidden Forest." Akuma lifted his head up from Zephyr's shoulder to reveal puffy, red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks. He felt the other wipe the dried tear stains with the hem of his cape with a hum. "They must be waiting." 

A smile graced Zephyr's lips, seeing the pure relief in Akuma, from the way his shoulders relaxed a little and his eyes have a more bright glint in them. Truth to be told, Akuma felt as if a big boulder has been lifted from his shoulders, giving him the opportunity to fly as free as a bird in the sky. "Of course." 

●○●○●○●○● 

_The offer sounded too good to be true. Coming with these men clad in black in exchange for their parents' health? In their minds, it's a good enough deal, benefiting the both of them—_

_—Even despite the negative feeling in the pit of Akumu's stomach, she still held a determined expression on her face, seeing how serious her brother looked too. For their family, for their parents' health, for their life, they will participate in this so-called case study conducted by famous researchers._

_' **But why would said researchers send these... so-called bodyguards to puck them up instead of them?** ' This crucial piece of information caused the red alarms to go off in Akuma's head, this is suspicious — too suspicious, even for the child-like minds of the siblings and even if the men tried to explain otherwise, but they can't back out now. Not even if their parents' life is on the the table. _

_All hands on deck, they have to play their cards right. One failure is more deadlier than a hundred victories, Akumu recalled, having taken the quote from a book she read weeks ago._

_The siblings turned back for one last hug. One last hug. The long, painfully heart-wrenching hug they gave their parents is their last, filled with tears and soft cries. Their parents couldn't let them go but they have to, their mother wailing as the siblings' hands slipped away from her grasps, entering the black-tinted van, watery eyes watching the car speed through the neighbourhood. _

_**Why them, specifically?** There are many other children in the neighbourhood, but why them? Akumu doesn't get it, what do the researchers see in them? Want from them? What do they have that the other children don't have? So many questions, yet so little answers, she's sure they can't pry the answers she wanted — no, **needed** , from the researchers._

_All hands on deck. Make your first move._

_"Where are we going?" Her eyes flitted over to the driver's seat, spotting a silver **something** on the driver's chest, the rays of the sun bouncing off it to create an illusion that it's glowing. Seems like a badge or a brooch, an expensive one at that, maybe an indication they're from where the researchers are or at least hired?_

_Although asking is not the greatest first move she did, but it'll have to do, considering how trapped they are with guards all around them in the van. Akuma gave his sister a side-eye glance, as if he's disappointed, though he agrees with whatever she has on her mind — that's their only move they can make. Small, but it makes a difference on the outcome of this game._

_The driver gave her a glance through the rear view mirror and simply smirked, before focusing on the road once again — a suspicious answer. This made an alarm go off in her head, usually people would answer, at least briefly or generally, on where they're going and this is no normal answer._

_**What have they gotten themselves into?** _

●○●○●○●○● 

"The rest is all blurry. It's either the researchers messed with our memories or we could barely remember at all." 

Everyone sat around the bonfire Akuma provided, the fire flickering peacefully around the wooden planks, as if dancing with the wind. The dance reflected in the eyes of the group, glassy and small within yet still as graceful as ever, although rubies and sapphire spoke otherwise. 

Akumu leaned back a bit after telling them what she briefly remembered, a sigh escaping her lips as she stared into the centre of the hearth, a feeling similar to that of hatred slowly growing in her heart but she gulped it down. Now is not the time to be angry at the people who she is sure are already dead and burning in hell for what they have done to them. 

"I remembered how we died, though." Akuma spoke up, a hand gripping Zephyr's own like a lifeline, for support and anchor to control his emotions. Zephyr smiled as his thumb ran over the other's knuckles to soothe him, to remind him he's there for him. "We expected to die during one of the experiments but we didn't expect... dying... in this way." 

Amethyst took one good look at how Akumu is basically glaring at the bonfire, with Raven beside her with a hand in her hair to untangle the knots. Eyes shifting to the other, she guessed carefully. "Fire?" 

Akuma solemnly nodded, his free hand reaching out to the hearth still dancing in the midst of the group, so carefree and unaware of the long-time fury buried deep within the siblings' hearts against it. "It's still vivid in my mind, to the point I could barely get a wink of sleep." 

_The hearth is still growing, no matter how hard they — the firefighters — try to combat it. All from a single match and gallons upon gallons of gasoline, two kids huddled close to the corner of a room, watching helplessly as the fire inched closer to them._

_Is this how they're going to die? Are they going to find the perpetrators to avenge their deaths and let their souls ease at last?_

_No matter. Who cares about two kids who are nothing but lab rats — experiments, even, for an achievement not even humankind can reach._

_Maybe death is an easy way out after all._

"They wanted to achieve immorality, from what I've heard." Akumu clenched her hand tightly, her jaw sealed shut so she could say no more things she would regret in the future. "But why us? Why not test it on themselves?" 

"They wanted to be careful, they wanted to be the first ones to achieve such a feat." Augustus pinpointed, leaning against Kenji with a thoughtful hum. Now that he thinks about it, it's a cruel method to test such things on kids, those who still have such a bright future ahead of them, they should never have this kind of childhood. "But... still, it's unacceptable to experiments on kids— on _you two_." 

"We know." Akumu stood up and brushed the non-existent dust off her pants. Eyes glossy, it's clear she's on the verge of tears, and a sign for everyone they should leave the premises. "We've realised too late..." 

"Aku..." Raven stood up and gently wrapped her arms around her. It would've been cute if said girl is not crying, soft sobs echoing throughout the place, face buried in Raven's shoulder and hidden from sight. 

_But she's crying and it's not cute._

Raven, giving one last look at the group, gestured for them to leave them alone, in which they complied and as quick as the wind, they disappeared. A hum escaped her lips to soothe the crying girl, slowly rocking them back and forth as she slowly patted Akumu's back at a steady interval. 

"I'm sorry." Akumu hiccuped, trying to hold in more tears from running down her cheeks, biting her lower lip in a futile attempt to contain her cries. Raven hushed her with a smile, placing a kiss on the crown of her head, as a reassurance that she's always there for the other no matter what. Akumu appreciated the gesture, although she didn't say it, Raven can already tell. 

"Let it all out first, and then we could talk." Raven hummed, pulling the smaller girl closer. She didn't realise how much pain and suffering the siblings went through, already she felt tears brimming in her eyes from empathy and she let out a silent sigh at that. 

She knows she can't fully heal the deep wounds those bastards created, the most she could do is slowly mend it together with love and care, in hopes it would make Akumu feel better. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading everyone, hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Also I will be posting all of their backstories on a separate work so stay tuned!


End file.
